Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland

[eoe]

Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland

March 17

Apolytikion in the Third Tone

O Holy Hierarch, equal of the Apostles, Saint Patrick, wonderworker and
enlightener of Ireland: Intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our
souls forgiveness of offences.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

The Master revealed thee as a skilful fisher of men; and casting forth nets of
Gospel preaching, thou drewest up the heathen to piety. Those who were the
children of idolatrous darkness thou didst render sons of day through holy
Baptism. O Patrick, intercede for us who hounour thy memory.

Reading:

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, was seized from his native Britain by
Irish marauders when he was sixteen years old. Though the son of a deacon and a
grandson of a priest, it was not until his captivity that he sought out the
Lord with his whole heart. In his Confession, the testament he wrote towards
the end of his life, he says, "After I came to Ireland - every day I had to
tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed - the love of God and His fear came
to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was so moved
that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as
many at night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the
mountain; and I would rise for prayer before daylight, through snow, through
frost, through rain, and I felt no harm." After six years of slavery in
Ireland, he was guided by God to make his escape, and afterwards struggled in
the monastic life at Auxerre in Gaul, under the guidance of the holy Bishop
Germanus. Many years later he was ordained bishop and sent to Ireland once
again, about the year 432, to convert the Irish to Christ. His arduous labours
bore so much fruit that within seven years, three bishops were sent from Gaul
to help him shepherd his flock, "my brethren and sons whom I have baptized in
the Lord - so many thousands of people," he says in his Confession. His
apostolic work was not accomplished without much "weariness and painfulness,"
long journeys through difficult country, and many perils; he says his very life
was in danger twelve times. When he came to Ireland as its enlightener, it was
a pagan country; when he ended his earthly life some thirty years later, about
461, the Faith of Christ was established in every corner.

[HandmaidenOfGod]

O Holy St. Patrick Pray for us!

[Xpycoctomos]

Are there any Othodox Icons of St. Patrick? Can anyone post them?

[Mary of Bethany]

This one is from the OCA site.

http://ocafs.oca.org/GetImageDetail.asp?IP=march%2F0317patrick%2Direland%2Ejpg

[Xpycoctomos]

Thanks Mary!

[Rilian]

Here is one that is in a church not very far from me. http://www.comeandseeicons.com/udn01.htm

[Marxist]

As a former RC who resides in the Archdiocese of NY may I take advantage of the RC dispensation to eat meat today? I promise to restrict myself to corned beef.

I mean, I only need one of you, just one, please anyone...just say YES!!!!^_^

[Mary of Bethany]

:D

Nice try . . . . . .:P

[Rilian]

As a former RC who resides in the Archdiocese of NY may I take advantage of the RC dispensation to eat meat today? I promise to restrict myself to corned beef.

I read that the other day. How sad.

[Xpycoctomos]

Sure!... that is, if you want to subject yourself to eternal torment in HELL! :mad:

[Xpycoctomos]

I think the dispensation is wierd. But the Church reserves that right. I don't think there is anything bad about the idea of giving a dispensation during lent for such a very important saint. I wonder, though, how many will use that as an excuse to get wasted... but how many of those people fast anyway. So, I actually think it's fine.

The Orthdox Church, it seems, is a lot stricter on fasting in Lent compared to a lot of regions in the Early Church where they never fasted on a Sunday at all.

But, I still admit... the dispensation is kind of wierd considering what most people use that day for anyhow.

John

[choirfiend]

Hey, it does make sense---We have dispensations for fish on our feast days during Lent!

it's just starting from a different standard. Since no one is fasting from alcohol or indeed, really FASTING in the RCC during lent (unless they take on additional disciplines as an act of faith, which is commendable), easing the one restriction is all they CAN do for a big saint's day. Different baseline, different dispensations...

[Marxist]

Sure!... that is, if you want to subject yourself to eternal torment in HELL! :mad:

Etrenal torment or the temporary bliss of corned beef and boiled potatos smothered in butter.....gee....
can I flip a coin?^_^

[Xpycoctomos]

Hey, it does make sense---We have dispensations for fish on our feast days during Lent!

it's just starting from a different standard. Since no one is fasting from alcohol or indeed, really FASTING in the RCC during lent (unless they take on additional disciplines as an act of faith, which is commendable), easing the one restriction is all they CAN do for a big saint's day. Different baseline, different dispensations...

People are fasting in the RC. And the RCC asks people to fast. There are different levels of fasting of course. We define fasting (generally) as abstaining from certain foods (namely, animal products, for the most part) and abstention as not easting at all on certain (few) days. Let's say the copts were super strict about fasting (As the norm) giving a list of only 5 foods one CAN eat and ONLY after dark or something... to them I suppose they would consider our fasting a joke. But we don't. And Catholics are indee fsting. Sure, on the whole (and by the norm) it's a much lesser fast... but it's fasting nonetheless and they do have days where they are expected not to eat until a certain hour.

So, I think you make an excellent point in saying "Different baseline, different dispensations". Exactly. But I would also say that they are indeed fasting.

John

[choirfiend]

It might be part of higher or lower standards--but since the RCC lowered hers, it's not much of a fast, anymore. I could have a 30 minute complete fast each day where I abstained from food or drink--but compared to a three day fast such as a monastic might undertake--I wouldn't call the 30 minute fast fasting. There's no qualifiers on how much, for example. If someone stuffs their face at a Friday fish fry, how is that fasting? The official practice is dumbed down to not eating meat for like 6-10 days (I dont know how Holy Week might pan out) out of a year (plus some abstention fasts, I will agree). One of the points what I consider to be fasting, which I concede, is my opinion and you don't have to agree with it, is that it takes some effort. It's ascetic. It's a struggle, it's a discipline, it makes us take account of our needs and our weaknesses. Just going without meat for 6 days a year is no struggle. Most people in the world are lucky if they GET meat once weekly.

But then, that's one of the ways I think Catholicism has drifted--loss of ascetism as part of a normal Christian life (not just monastics or celibate priests). For most people, fasting has become about giving something up--not lessening the Passions hold on you. That emphasis has been completely lost. So, no, I still wouldn't call it fasting. It's giving up meat on Fridays.

[Xpycoctomos]

You make a good point wiht the ascetic practie. Although we aren't monks nor are we called to live like monks, it does a body and spirit good to pull ascetic practices into our lives here and there. I do agree that ours is more ascetic (I also believe the OC tends to be over-ascetic at times to a degree that lay people are not meant to be. However, the OCA has helped bring things back into perspective without "dumbing down" the fast while at the same time being sensible and that's good) but, I am certainly not going to say that my Cahtolic friends who are fasting are not struggling. I also don't think it is somethign that should be compared. That's my whole point. I don't even think Orthodox should compare. While fasting does have a communal aspect, it is intensely personal as the Scriptures show. So, while Russians may have stricter fast than some other jurisdictions/regions, that's neither here nor there.

Also, although the RCC may have gotten a little too wimpy on how they deal with the fast, they are working hard to bring the fast back into perspective for Catholics. They're saying "Look, fasting from activities like snacking, TV and partying is more important than the beef you refuse to eat on Fridays". They still want them to keep the fast, but not at the expense of understanding the true importance of it. St. John Chrysostom preaches more on that than he does on the importance of abstaining from food. Surely he expected his parishioners to fast, but without the other stuff... it's all useless.

Your point isn't lost with me. I agree that the Catholic Church could stand to be a bit (a lot?) more strict on the fast... and honestly I think it will... it will just take time. But I know many Cahtolics who fast and I am not going to lessen the importance of their fast just because mines harder. My fast is completely and utterly irrelevant to their life and to anybody's life, Catholic or Orthodox.

[choirfiend]

Very true! good post~

[Michael the Iconographer]

Icon of St. Patrick, Apostle to Ireland. This one was written about 4 years ago.

[Xpycoctomos]

Nice icon.

I have a question. I feel I've seen beards like that (where it is split in the middle showing the neck). Is there a symbolism behind that or is that just a style?

Thanks in advance Mike,

John

[Michael the Iconographer]

Nice icon.

I have a question. I feel I've seen beards like that (where it is split in the middle showing the neck). Is there a symbolism behind that or is that just a style?

Thanks in advance Mike,

John

I have yet to read anything that suggests there is a meaning to the shape of the beard. There is meaning to the length, namely that an old man is going to have a very long beard.

[Xpycoctomos]

thanks Michael. You're quick!